A Favor
by peridxt
Summary: "I have to meet someone and my van broke down again. It still needs to be fixed and I can't take the bus." "No, you can't borrow my car. But I can drive you." Martin looked a little upset by this arrangement but nodded. Douglas smiled and jingled his keys. "Let's go, then." Martin/Sherlock
"Douglas, I need a favor."

Douglas looked up and smiled.

"What could I possibly do for sir?"

Martin sighed and waved his hand. They had just gotten back from a flight and were both still wearing their epaulettes.

"Stop it, Douglas. Could I borrow your car?"

"Borrow my car? What for?"

"I have to meet someone and my van broke down again. It still needs to be fixed and I can't take the bus."

"No, you can't borrow my car. But I can drive you." Martin looked a little upset by this arrangement but nodded. Douglas smiled and jingled his keys. "Let's go, then."

After a car drive of word games and attempts to start 20 questions (Douglas) and refusals to play 20 questions (Martin), they arrived at the destination. They both got out of the car and walked to the front door. Martin looked at Douglas in alarm and Douglas drawled, "Did you want me to wait out here like a taxi? Or perhaps you could walk back to Fitton." Martin closed his mouth without saying anything but looked a little stiff as he rang the doorbell. A kindly old lady answered.

"Oh, Martin. Good to see you again, dearie." Martin gave her a small smile, doffing his captain's hat. The woman's gaze turned to Douglas and she smiled brightly.

"Oh hello, love. You must be a friend of Martin's."

"First Officer Douglas Richardson, at your service mum." She smiled and let them go upstairs. "Sherlock's in a bit of a mood. Glad to see you've shown up Martin dear." Martin half-smiled and went upstairs. Douglas followed after him, but before he could ask anything they were at the door of the flat and Martin had rapped on the door.

"Just a moment!" Called an unfamiliar voice, and Martin frowned. He turned the knob and half-stepped in, Douglas leaning in to try and catch a glimpse of the room.

"Excuse me, I was looking for a mister Sherlock Ho-" He cut off mid-politely confused sentence and broke into a huge grin. "Sherlock," He said, and strode into the room. He flopped down onto a couch and Douglas walked into the room and looked around. A bit... eccentric. Not somewhere he'd expect Martin to be visiting, that's for sure. Martin was sitting on the couch, leaning forward to speak animatedly with another man, who looked almost just like Martin. The only differences Douglas could discern at the moment were that the other one had dark chocolate brown curls that clashed with Martin's bright orange ones, Martin was shorter (no surprise), and the other man was silent and did not seem to have the same type of personality as Martin at all.

"Ah, hello there. Sorry, who are..?" Douglas and Martin both looked up at the other voice, and saw someone had emerged from the kitchen with a tray of two teacups. A short sandy-haired man who looked rather confused by the two pilot-looking men who had barged into his flat. Martin subsequently blushed and stammered out an apology which made Douglas cut into it with a smooth word and a doff of his hat.

"S-sorry it's just I-i came to v-visit Sherlock a-and-"

"So sorry to intrude. I'm Douglas Richardson and that's Martin Crieff. We're pilots for a small plane charter company called MJN Air."

"Oh." The man set the tray down on the small coffee table and looked back up at Douglas. "Are you a captain then?" Douglas smiled as Martin shot up from his chair, looking quite red in the face and gesturing wildly to his cuffs and hat.

"No! I'M the captain! Look at my hat! Look at my sleeve! Why does everyone always think HE'S the captain?! Do I need to 'doff hat and gesture to lipstick inscription'?" Douglas chuckled and righted his cap back onto his head, then he said "I think he gets the idea, Martin. No, I'm afraid he's the captain. Captain Martin Crieff, or, as I'm privileged to call him, sir." Martin groaned. "No please Douglas don't bring that up again. Look, I'm sorry okay?"

"I know. We're not still at that bloody petrol station are we?"

"But that's because Carolyn had a 'private talk' with you under the wing."

"Yes alright, but if you just stopped 'taking control', I wouldn't even bring it up."

"I'm the captain, though!"

Douglas was amused by the way Martin's face crumpled that way it did when he was really upset or conflicted.

"Stop teasing him, Douglas."

Douglas looked over to the man who had spoken, Martin's look alike.

"I didn't catch your name," Douglas inquired smoothly.

"Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes."

"Pleasure." Sherlock gave him a flat look, and Douglas returned it with a smoothly raised eyebrow.

Martin wrung his hat in his hands and stared the blond man and said through his teeth.

"And who are you?"

"He's John Watson, Martin. We have a flatshare, like Lestrade and Mrs Hudson had wanted." Sherlock interrupted before John could speak for himself.

"Ah. Well. That's good. I guess." In contrast to his words, Martin was glaring at John suspiciously through narrowed eyes. Douglas watched with interest-Martin seemed to think the man was a rival. What could he possibly

Oh.

Haha.

Douglas's lip curled into a smile.

"Martin."

Martin looked over at his first officer and was immediately wary.

"..Yes?"

"You never mentioned you had a boyfriend."

Martin promptly turned bright red, and tried to answer.

"I-I-I-Don't tell Carolyn! I'll never get her to pay me at all if she know's I'm in with someone who has money!"

"We weren't aware you were 'in' with anyone."

"It's my life, Douglas. I don't see why I should tell you."

"If I'd have known, I would never have bothered you about the online dating."

"Yeah, well."

"And you know about all three Mrs Richardsons."

"Yeah, well."

Sherlock huffed a laugh from behind Martin, and the two pilots looked to see what was amusing him. John was standing there, holding the air were a teacup used to be. He had dropped it when Douglas had said "boyfriend," but no one had noticed. Everyone stared at him until he said, by way of explanation, "Sherlock never said a word."

"Well, some people like to keep their personal lives, personal." Martin replied frostily, and John breathed out.

"He didn't seem the type, really."

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

Sherlock just seemed amused by the whole thing, and Douglas understand that. He was too.


End file.
